a bleeding purple utah jazz blog

Game 58 vs. SAS: #PlayoffPush still alive

Never mind that it was the Spurs’ second team, whose starters included one guy that rested last night, two guys that have been with the team for two weeks, and one guy that rested last night and has been with the team for two weeks, that the Jazz managed to hold off. As far as the Playoff push is concerned though, well, let’s send it to the locker room:

Side note: After the game, Steve Brown/the media kept asking every Jazz player interviewed about the slap in the face/diss/insult it was that Gregg Popovich opted to rest Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker. FWIW, I didn’t think it was an insult at all. To me, Pop has the bigger picture in mind and I don’t see any issue with his decision. Phil Johnson, however, completely disagrees with me:

All right, enough on the game because we have a much bigger and more pressing issue at hand (pun not intended):

Quotage** Millsap on his putback dunk: I got higher than what I expected.

Easy one this time:

Random Stuff, etc.** Earl’s injury requires surgery and he is out indefinitely; CJ will not be traveling with the team on the upcoming three-game road trip but Josh Howard and Raja Bell will.** The Jazz have signed Blake Ahearn to a ten-day contract. Blake is the epitome of what fans of other teams think a Utah Jazz player looks like.** Jeremy Evans finally gets in the game before garbage time and ends up getting injured; did not return.

** Corbin on the Spurs: We just gotta go out and force our will on them.** Phil Johnson on Matt Bonner: Did you notice he was only stretching out the right arm?** Harpring: Sometimes on a back-to-back it takes a while to get your legs under you.** Harpring on Ostertag’s picks: He got me open many, many times.** Harpring on Hornacek’s suit: You think Hornacek’s got something under there we don’t know about?** Millsap, post-game: Big Al couldn’t get many touches down there, so somebody had to do it.** Popovich on Blake Ahearn: He can put it in the hole. I really enjoyed him. (H/T @JazzmanJoey)** BTS, although I think he’s now doing these intentionally: